‘The Child & Youth Arts Education Center’ in the
Northeast Region and

‘Gangbuk-gu Comprehensive Sports Center’

Mia-Dong, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 2018

Concept

The site is located on
the edge of newly built high-rise residential blocks and the small scale city
fabric. The intricate and sensitive context of the new building generated the
central questions underpinning the design: How to create a dialogue between
two? How to respect and preserve the area while experiencing a persuasive
presence of huge developments on the background. How to form new links in the
district and bring healthy coherence to the institution itself.

The project emerges
from the idea of creating a green amphitheater accommodating two distinct
programmes on a triangular site. An open garden which acts like a terraced
amphitheater for viewing the city panorama. In addition, the elevated landscape
has a characteristic setting, which is that it preserves the original land
surface silhouette, where the roof acts like a fifth facade and a garden at the
same time.

The building underlines
and uses the possibility of existing sloped relief which naturally acts like a
terraced park-garden forming the views towards the Bakhusan National Park west,
Ohpae Monuntain and the Dream Forest Park to the East.

Volume creates intimate
interior and exterior green roofs. A perimeter block that morphs into a small
scale curvy shapes to downscale the urban appearance. From the streets, the
building appears as a richly detailed wall full of voids – while representing
terraced garden from city skyline.

The enclosure of the
perimeter wall creates a safe and pleasant environment for the kids and
visitors. We offer maximum privacy while allowing them a closeness and
continuity of space, organized around a garden, like a cloister of the city.